Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., at the microphone, is running for the U.S. Senate. / Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP

by Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

by Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

A conservative group has come out and endorsed GOP Rep. Shelley Moore Capito's primary opponent for Senate, another sign that the veteran lawmaker won't have an easy ride.

The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC), which has previously endorsed Tea Party favorites in their Senate bids, gave its support last week to Pat McGeehan, a former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates.

"Pat McGeehan is a constitutional conservative who will stand with Senators Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee in the United States Senate," said Stephanie Butcher, a regional director of the RLC. "His work during his time in the state legislature proves he is the conservative choice in this election."

Republicans have high hopes of winning the 2014 Senate race in West Virginia, where Democrat Jay Rockefeller is retiring. Capito, first elected to the House in 2000, is raising money at a fast clip, and a strong Democratic candidate has yet to come forward.

The Club for Growth and other conservative groups have criticized Capito's candidacy, particularly her vote for the federal government's bailout of banks. But the Club for Growth and the Senate Conservatives Fund, another organization that has come out in the past for GOP candidates outside of the mainstream, have yet to endorse McGeehan, who holds the record for the most "no" votes in one term in the West Virginia House of Delegates.